Case-Mate.comCase-Mate posted photos of iPhone 5 cases Thursday and immediately took them down, replacing the phone case images with the message: "We'll have your cases when you have your new iPhone."

When will the Apple iPhone 5 come out? Rumors have been flying like crazy over the last few days, as sources claim it's been confirmed that the next-generation iPhone release date will be October 15.

According to Case-Mate, who makes cell phone cases for smartphones like the iPhone, said Apple is expected to reveal the iPhone 5 (or an iPhone 4S) at the Macworld Asia conference in Beijing next Thursday or Friday. "Inside sources" say Apple will use the event to announce details about the new smartphone and its official launch date within the next few weeks.

Also, TechCrunch reports France Telecom CEO Stéphane Richard said, "If we believe what we have been told, the iPhone 5 will be released on 15 October."

Of course, if Richard's statement is true, that still doesn't necessarily mean Apple fans in the U.S. will get theirs on October 15 -- they could get it sooner, as some reports have predicted the release date to be October 7. TechCrunch pointed out that the iPhone 4 launched simultaneously in the U.S. and across Europe, but other countries didn't get last summer's model until weeks later.

Case-Mate also fueled rumors that the announcement was close when they posted photos of new iPhone 5 cases on Thursday before promptly removing them. The website replaced the page with a message that said "We'll have your cases when you have your new iPhone."

The Case-Mate pictures, according to The New York Times, suggested that the iPhone 5 would be thinner and wider than its previous model, with a larger home button and a screen size increase from 3.5 inches to 4 inches.

"Sources familiar with the matter" have previously said the iPhone 5 will also have a faster A5 dual-core processor, similar to the one used in the iPad 2, as well as an 8.0 mega-pixel camera (an upgrade from the iPhone 4's 5.0 mega-pixel camera), wireless charging and iOS 5, which syncs with iCloud storage capabilities.

Apple is also rumored to be working with Qualcomm on an NFC chip for either the iPhone 5 or 6, according to The Washington Post. The near-field communication technology allows smartphone owners to use their phone at payment stands by waving it across instead of using cash or credit cards, withdrawing funds from iTunes accounts.

The new iPhone is expected to be released in black and white with 16 GB and 32 GB choices on all major carriers across the globe, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and China Mobile. Sprint may even offer the iPhone 5 with an unlimited data plan, unlike its competitors, PC World reports.

Fans could be forced to wait even longer for the much-delayed iPhone. Apple, the notoriously secretive technology giant, has not made any confirmations or announcements as of yet as to when the next-generation iPhone will be released or what features it will have.